Journey of a Jinchuuriki
by The Six Paths of Life
Summary: What if Naruto had once lost control when he was just 6 years old? What if he had to escape Konoha for fear of being prosecuted? And what if on his journey, he met someone who recognized him for what he could one day be...? This is the story of Naruto Uzumaki, becoming the greatest shinobi he could hope to be. His path will be long, but not lonely one... NarutoxFuu Semi-Good-Sasuke
1. Chapter 1

Konohagakure... The jewel of the Land of Fire. One of the five great shinobi villages, next to Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure and Sunagakure... Konoha was founded many years ago by the famous Senju and Uchiha clans. Both of which wanted peace and a strong alliance against the other nations. But just as the founder of Konoha, Uchiha Madara, betrayed that peace and attacked the Shodaime Hokage, Hashirama Senju, so too do the people of Konoha no longer value peace... kindness... forgiveness...

* * *

Running... always running...

Thats the only thing that he knows. Running away from the hateful stares. The harsh words of "demon" and "demon brat"... The injuries they gave him always healed quickly. But the words and looks remained. A constant reminder that he`s not welcome...

He ducked under a fence that had a hole in its side. Just enough for him to make it. But halfway through he got stuck.

He dug his hands furiously into the cold dirt, desperately trying to escape before the unruly mob behind him caught up.

He didn`t even know what he did this time. He was just walking down the street, trying to get to Ichiraku`s without being yelled at but then a young boy spotted him.

The kid didn`t know better. He saw the hateful stares that were always directed at him. All he knew was that nobody liked that Uzumaki kid. So he did what they all did. He yelled at him to get away and go bother someone else. But that was the spark that lit the fire. All of a sudden a mob had formed intent on making the demon brat know his place.

He could hear them just around the corner, their makeshift weapons clanging as they moved. His fingers were bleeding slightly as he kept clawing at the cold hard earth to release him until with a final heave he slid through the fence, just in time to see the mob round the corner.

He ran across the alley and turning right then left and right. Trying to rid himself of pursuers but only managing to lose his sense of direction. But what can he do? He`s just six years old. Not even that... His birthday isn`t until tomorrow and yet...

"There he is! The Kyuubi brat`s getting away!"

He turns and sees a man brandishing a broken bottle in his right hand. The stains on his attire clearly showed that the sake did not go wasted as the drunk lumbered after him, the mob hot on his tail.

Letting out a whimper he ran. Ran faster than he had ever ran in his life. But it wasn`t enough. He was a six year old boy and the mob was huge. There must have been 4 dozen people at least.

He quickly ducked into a tight alley turned right again and stopped dead in his tracks... It was a dead end.

His eyes widened in fear as he turned only to hear the mob advancing towards him... As silently as possible he ran to the side and hid behind a dumpster. He listened above the thunderous sound of his heartbeat as the first people stepped into the alley.

"Where did the Kyuubi brat go?" he hears a man say. Strangely enough the others from the mob shush him warning him not to speak out loud.

It made the young boy wonder. He often heard the mobs calling him Kyuubi or Kyuubi brat... Why did the give him that name...? Was there a reason...?

He was torn from his thoughts as suddenly the drunk from before moved towards his hiding place and grabbed him by the collar of his black shirt. He cried out as the man threw him at the brick wall on the other side. Loud jeering reached his ears as the mob gathered round him. The drunk quickly kicked him in the stomach, making him roll over in pain.

Throughout his beating he heard the calls of "Thats what he gets, the demon!" and "Kick him again, that`ll teach him for what he`s done!"...

But the boy didn`t understand. Why... why are they doing this? How did he wrong them, what did he do?

Suddenly the boy felt a cool sense of anger erupt in him. The kicks to his stomach kept him quiet as he gasped for air. The sounds of the mob escaped him as all went silent... He felt a strong feeling of fury rise inside of him. He wanted to kill them... to crush them for doing this. But suddenly, the drunk that lead the mob at him, gripped his arm in pain.

Using all his strength the boy looked up to see a kunai pin the man`s arm into the wall. The crowd suddenly moved back from them as a figure wearing dark shinobi gear and an ANBU mask shaped like a weasel appeared between them and the boy.

The crowd stared quietly as the ANBU proceeded to rip out the kunai and punch the drunkard. The blow sent him flying towards the mob where he struggled to pick himself up, whimpering from his relatively small injury.

"I would suggest you all depart. Or does the Hokage need to be notified of this?" The ANBU spoke in a deep cold voice that was however quite young. He couldn`t be mroe than 13 years old and yet he was not only an ANBU but had the markings of a captain on his vest.

The mob looked at him briefly before turning back and running. The drunk finally managed to stand and ran away from the place but not before shooting a hateful glare at the bruised boy on the ground.

The ANBU slowly turned around and kneeled next to the boy and helped him stand up.

"Are you badly hurt?" The boy was surprised. The ANBU`s voice, first downright cruel and cold had turned into something akin to the voice of an elder brother. The boy sniffled as the Anbu`s kindness touched him. He could count the people that were nice to him on one hand... His Jiji the Hokage, Ayame and Teuchi the owners of his favorite restaurant and...

"No... But thank you ANBU-sama..." His voice came out slightly slurred since his face hurt from a kick in the cheek. All in all he wasn`t too badly injured. He had several brusies and even a couple of cuts on his hands and back from where he was thrown at the wall and tried to protect himself. But at least he wasn`t openly bleeding... this time. On his 5th birthday just one year ago, he had nearly died. He was forced to go to the hospital to stay there for a week. While the nurses and doctors weren`t overly nice to him either, they were still better than the mobs. He still didn`t know how he healed so quickly but more likely than not his brusies would be gone by tomorrow...

The ANBU sighed before pulling back his mask to reveal a pair of startling red eyes. Around his black pupil there were three tomoe spinning slightly before they came to a stop and his eyes turned to a calming gray color.

"My name is Itachi. You`re Naruto, right?" the boy Itachi asked... Naruto was shaken at first. But then he realised that the ANBU were sent to protect him sometimes when the villagers were serious enough to kill him. Usually that was on his birthday.

"Hai, I`m Naruto Uzumaki... Thank you for saving me Itachi-sama..." The Uchiha cringed as Naruto continued to use the honorific but decided to ignore it for now. His eyes drifted to the cuts on the blonde`s arms. Slowly but surely he could see that they were healing. The Kyuubi`s power indeed.  
Ironically that was on the blonde`s mind as well...

"Itachi-sama... What is the Kyuubi?" The ANBU captain froze. There was a death penalty for anyone who mentioned this... But looking at the young blonde in front of him... The same age as his brother... Beaten mercilessly for something he doesnt even know about...

"Naruto... Tell me... Would you sacrifice?" Naruto stared dumbly at the ANBU in front of him. Itachi then elaborated as he saw the confused look on the blonde`s face.

"Would you sacrifice all the people you hold dear... All those you cared for, if it meant saving this village?" The question hung in the air as Itachi awaited a response... Naruto didn`t know why Itachi, an ANBU would care for his opininon. But he had just saved him from a beating and he wasn`t going to lie to him now...

"Would you kill them yourself, if it meant saving Konoha despite noone knowing what you did?" Naruto contemplated... He was no stranger to the shinobi way of life. It was his dream after all. He knew that shinobi killed and died in the name of their village... But that wasn`t their only purpose. Would he have been able to kill those people closest to him...? Ayame, Teuchi, Jiji?...

"Yes... But only for a good reason..." Naruto`s response was quiet, barely above a whisper but Itachi heard him anyway. Itachi was taken aback at the blonde`s answer.

"Because that`s what a shinobi does isn`t it? He sacrifices for his village?" Itachi nodded slowly. That was his reasoning as well. For the good of the village and as his duty dictated... He closed his eyes but opened them slowly as Naruto continued...

"But I would still try to kill as little as possible... Everybody deserves a second chance..." Itachi looked at him impassively as the boy returned his gaze with a fire in his ocean blue eyes...

"You realise that the sole purpose of a shinobi is to kill for his village and protect it, don`t you?"  
Naruto narrowed his eyes as he thought about his words but then quickly shook his head saying...  
"No, a shinobi`s duty is to protect people. Even if he sometimes has to kill that doesn`t mean its the only thing they`re good for. That`s why I want to become a shinobi, so one day people like them" as he said this he turned to the way out of the alley and gave it a cold stare "will one day know that they were wrong..."

Itachi closed his eyes again... He knew that his loyalty to the village would never waver. But perhaps... Perhaps he didn`t need to do what he believed was neccesary. Some people deserve a second chance. Most don`t... But if only a few... His thoughts briefly turned to his family, his mother, father... his brother... Shaking his head he looked down at the boy before him. Somehow he had managed to shake his belief in what must be done. And perhaps he just saved him from a darker fate than needed...

"Thank you Naruto-san..." The boy just smiled before frowning again and asking... "What about the Kyuubi? Can you tell me... please?"

Itachi looked off towards the alley as he contemplated. In his opinion, leaving the boy in the dark, was not a good choice... It was understandable that others of his age did not need to know. But the boy himself deserved the closure... If only some.

"Naruto... The Kyuubi is a demon. A being of pure demonic chakra that attacked Konoha six years ago, taking countless lives with it... The Yondaime Hokage was one of those victims... He gave his life to seal the demon into a young child... A child born that same day..." Itachi watched as the boy`s eyes slowly widened. His hands trembled as the fire in his eyes died down, leaving them empty. Two tears flowed down his cheek as he shook from this revelation. He was not the brightest but he knew how to put one and one together...

Kneeling down Itachi wiped away the boys tears and said... "Naruto, despite what I said, despite what the villagers think... You are not the Kyuubi." The blonde`s eyes widened and a quiet sob shook his frame as more tears flowed down, replacing the ones Itachi had wiped away.

"How can you say... that I`m not?... I... I killed...-" Before Naruto could finish Itachi had interrupted him saying... "Naruto, the Kyuubi was sealed inside you because the Yondaime believed you could use it`s power to protect people. He believed in you and I know the Hokage believes in you as well. The difference between you and the Kyuubi is that in truth, you are the only thing keeping it from destroying Konoha. You are it`s container... It`s jailor and you are the reason we are alive. The Yondaime wanted you to become a shinobi who would use it`s power to protect Konoha. And I believe you will..." Itachi of course knew no such thing about the Yondaime. For all he knew the Yondaime grabbed the closest human being he could to seal the fox. But Naruto needed the truth and it would be better to give him hope rather than just tell him he held a demon inside of him.

Silence reined as the two stared at each other. Gray eyes filled with conviction and truth staring into lifeless blue eyes filled with sadness. But then the blue eyes brightened as Naruto stopped crying. He wiped away the rest of his tears and laughed slightly. _The Yondaime believed in me?_ It was enough. He now knew why and he was determined to prove them wrong. He smiled up at Itachi who smiled back before standing and pulling down his weasel mask. Surprising Naruto the ANBU captain bowed to him before he shunshined away in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto only stayed in the alley for another minute briefly looking down at his hands to see the cuts almost completely healed before running off through the village. He kept to the alleys trying to get to the Hokage tower without being noticed. It only took him 5 minutes before he was close enough to see its topmost windows still alight.

But before he could leave the safety of the alleys and move on, he heard a whimper. Trying to be stealthy, the boy moved down into a side alley that connected to the main street. There, hidden from the streetview by a wooden fence, he saw a young girl maybe 11 years old, being harrassed by a couple of drunks.

Upon closer inspection he saw that one of them was the same drunk that had beat on him not even half an hour ago. Apparently all it took for him to regain his "composure" was a bottle of sake and a few bandages wrapped around his injured hand.

The girl standing between them was whimpering silently as tears streamed down her face. The drunks were trying to get her to drink some of the sake, promising to have a good time with her if she was a good girl. She was begging them to stop and let her go but they merely laughed at her, until hearing a growl behind them.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Naruto had run up towards the drunks throwing a rock at them. He missed only managing to break the bottle of sake held in the drunks bandaged hand.

"What the hell? What do you want demon brat?! You want some more of that, ey? Didn`t get enough last time?" The man laughed at him as they both turned to face him. However both were surprised when Naruto ran at them managing to kick one in the leg as they scrambled drunkenly to catch him.

Using this as a distraction the girl turned and tried to run away towards the alley Naruto came from. But to the boy`s horror the other man who was closer to her suddenly pulled out a long rusty knife which was hidden in his sleeve. Letting out a disgusting snarl the man grabbed the girl by the hair and plunged the knife in her back.

The girl screamed silently as her eyes widened. The knife was pulled out of her with a squelching sound and then pulled across her throat. The blood flew freely down the man`s hands as he let the girl fall. She lay there whimpering silently as the life left her. Naruto quickly ran to her, the other man simply laughing with his comrade as the boy knelt next to the dying girl.

She looked up at him, her wide eyes staring emptily. He noticed her irises were orange, his favorite color... But then something left them. The eyes stopped moving as he heard her breathe a final time. Her face frozen in that look of agony as she died alone in a dark alley with noone but a boy at her side... A boy who was the cause of her death...

"That`s what happens when you try to help people you demon brat! You only ever make things worse! Now look at `er! She`s dead cuzz of you!" The drunk didn`t see Naruto shake with fury. He didn`t see anything as he laughed with his friend, their eyes closed tight from the "humorous" situation... He did however know something was wrong when his hand went slack, the rusty blade falling to the ground. However he did not hear it fall... He was dead long before it reached the ground.

* * *

_Drip..._

Naruto opened his eyes, seeing only darkness...

_Drip..._

_Where am I? Why is it so dark?_

_Drip..._

_Thats annoying..._ He thought as he tried to stand. Only then did he realise he was lying up to his elbows in water... Looking around all he could see were pipes under an endless black ceiling. Water leaking from them and flowing very slowly almost imperceptibly towards him.

_Drip..._

The pipes were all slightly rusty but relatively big. And there were quite a few of them as well. But above him near the ceiling was a huge pipe. It seemed brand new made from the same dark green metal as the others...

_Drip..._

Looking closely at it, he saw that despite being new the large pipe was leaking as well. But it wasn`t leaking normal water... The drop of dark red liquid fell down through the air and Naruto followed it with his eyes, turning around on the ground to see it splash in front of a huge cage...

_Drip..._

The cage was made of dark green metal just as the pipes around it were... Looking into the chasm behind the bars Naruto could see nothing. But he felt something... He felt like he was watched...

_Drip..._

Suddenly just beyong the bars a huge eye opened. The blood red iris flowed around a slit vertical pupil. Naruto trembled in fear. The water around him suddenly began to glow a deep red as the drops of dark red chakra continued to fall from above him.

_Drip..._

The creature regarded him silently and as the red glow spread beyond the bars Naruto could see just to who or rather what the eye belonged to... First he saw huge white teeth bared in a sneering grin. Next he saw the dark orange fur lining the head, body and hands of the creature which ended in several long sharp claws. Finally as the glow spread to the very bars themselves which turned into a dark red he saw them... Nine tails swaying ominously above the creature`s head. Each tail seemed to move on it`s own as if each had it`s own mind... The fox narrowed its eye at him as it growled darkly...

_Drip..._

**"What are you doing here **_**Orokana**_**?"** The fox`s deep voice reverbarated around the sewer and seemed to bounce back at him from all sides. Despite being insulted even Naruto knew when not to challenge someone. Fearfully he asked... "W-Who are you?"

_Drip..._

The fox regarded him silently it`s tails seemingly agitated as they swirled slightly faster... It snorted at him in silent amusement as it`s sneer became more prominent. Turning so he could see both it`s dark scarlet eyes it moved as close to him as it could saying... **"I am the reason you are a monster..."**

_Drip..._

Naruto suddenly feelt himself thrown back as if a line had been tied around him and the person on the other side was pulling him through the air. In just a moment he found himself back in the alley... But it wasn`t as he left it...

* * *

The world seemed to shift as Naruto gazed at it. His sight seemed magnified to the point where he could see every ant in the alley move away from him in fear. He could hear every conversation on the other side of the fence as he stared down at the blood on his hands. In front of him lay three bodies. He didn`t know who they were... He didn`t know why they were there. He only knew that their blood was on his hands. The first two seemed like old men. He briefly noted how their innards lay across the alley strewn about and painting its walls red. Their chests were torn apart by claws and burned at the same time, giving off the smell of burnt flesh making him hold back his lunch as his enhanced senses quadrupled the stench...

But it was the last body that made him freeze in fear. The body of a small girl only a few years older than him. She lay facing away from him. Blood pooled all around her as he tried to hear her heartbeat... His own beat faster when he realised that she too was dead... Her body still warm...

In horror he thought to himself..._ Did I... kill them? W-What happened? What did I do?!_

But noone could answer him or so he thought... His spine stiffened and his body shivered as he heard the deep dark voice of the Kyuubi resonate in his mind... _**You killed her Ningen... You murdered her in cold blood... You really are the monster they thought you were... You just proved them right and it felt good, didn`t it?**_

Naruto stumbled back as he continued to look at the girl in shock... He didn`t do this... He wasn`t a monster... _Y-Youre lying! _But the fox merely laughed and its laughter was even worse than its voice. It was a cold heartless laugh. The laugh of someone who enjoyed the pain he was feeling. _**You cannot lie to me Ningen... I know your heart. You wanted to show tham just how powerful you are. You wanted them to respect you and when they didn`t you killed them to show them how wrong they were... And you loved it... Can you not feel the blood? How it warms you as you rip out their hearts? **_The fox kept laughing as Naruto shook... He couldn`t deny the fox... He didn`t know what happened... He was a monster...

The pain... the confusion... the anger... it all spilled as Naruto let out a scream that turned into a roar which shattered the ground beneath him leaving a crater. The alley walls cracked and the wooden fence behind him shook as the fox`s fury boiled within him. The chakra cloak convulsed until a single tail of bubbling chakra formed behind him.

In the street outside two shinobi of the Uchiha clan quickly jumped over to see what`s wrong while the other people, which were all civilians either ran or looked towards the alley in curiosity.

Their curiosity would be their grave as with a mighty roar the transformed Naruto tore apart the fence and the buildings next to him. The two Uchiha had tried to attack him once they saw him and he retaliated. And now his fury was left unchecked as he tore apart the street and destroyed the buildings around him. Men and women fled as the crazed blonde tore past them.

Another pair of Uchiha stood in his way. They drew their kunai and shot fireballs at him... _**Pathetic... **_The boy merely pushed through the flames his chakra cloak protecting him. The kunai sailed through the air only to be grabbed and thrown back at them. One managed to duck and jump away while the other was hit in the leg.

Wasting no time, the crazed boy tore the man apart making it a point to tear apart his eyes... Those hateful eyes... The other one yelled in anger as his clansman was killed. Summoning up a wall of fire the Uchiha threw several paper bombs at the boy only for them to be caught and incinerated by the Kyuubi`s vile chakra... Jumping through the flames once again Naruto slammed his fist into the Uchiha and sent him flying into the store behind him. Moving quickly Naruto picked up one of the fallen kunai and threw it at his enemy with enough strength for it to break his skull and stick in his head.

Blood poured from the Uchiha`s eyes as the Kyuubi delighted in killing their clan specifically... But Naruto wasn`t paying attention to the Uchiha. Instead he was looking into the window of the store...

The blood from the dead shinobi ran slowly down the glass from where he was thrown into the store. But it was his reflection that made Naruto stop... He saw there a young boy, covered in blood and surrounded by a malicious dark chakra... And his face... His whisker marks had become more prominent, his teeth elongated and sharp. And his eyes... Were no longer _his_ eyes... All he saw was the Kyuubi staring back at him. Those merciless scarlet eyes that held no pity, no remorse...

He looked at the street, the broken buildings the blood from his four victims... And it all came crashing down... All the Kyuubi knew was that, suddenly, it had no control. It`s chakra remained but Naruto was beyond him.

It irked the fox to no end but then it felt... sadness? Looking through the blonde`s eyes the Kyuubi realised he was crying... Suddenly he jumped and took off... The boy ran towards the mountain behind the Hokage tower, the mountain that bore the faces of those he so very much despised... Hashirama Senju, the man that imprisoned him, his no good brother that helped him, the old geezer that dared to fight him and keep him imprisoned and finally... The Yondaime... The Kyuubi had no words to describe his hatred for that man. So it was with pleasure and annoyance both that he realised the boy had jumped onto the monument and began clawing his way to the top of the mountain. He particularly enjoyed the large tear that the boy made below the Yondaime`s eye but once he had made it to the top the boy looked back to the Hokage tower...

Sure enough the Kyuubi had felt it too... From the topmost window, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage looked on. Their eyes met. The soft brown filled with sorrow and regret as they stared into the scarlet red of the Kyuubi`s... But all the Sandaime saw was his surrogate grandson... Corrupted by the Kyuubi no Kitsune...

The moment was brief and ended when Naruto turned and jumped off into the forests beyond Konohagakure... It was the start of his journey and his redemption... But even so it was the most painful night he had ever faced... Six years old, Naruto Uzumaki was forced to run from Konoha as the escaped Jinchuuriki of the Nine-tailed Demon Fox...


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto was running... Still running... Trees and rocks passed him by, as the branches tore at his clothes. He was still crying, as he stumbled into a clearing and fell down to his knees whimpering.

Noticing a pond in the clearing, the boy crawled towards it... Sobs racked his body, as the moon`s reflection wavered on the water`s surface.

Reaching the edge of the pond he propped himself up on his knees and stared into the water, his reflection staring right back. A grim reminder of the last two days...

Scooping up some water, he brought it to his lips and drank thirstily, only to spit it out. The water was clear blue and clean but the taste of metal made him look down at his hands, even as new tears started to fall.

Blood... His hands, his shirt, his pants and his face... Blood everywhere... He cried silently for a moment, his eyes flashing crimson in the silent night. He shivered, as the cold night wind blew past him.

He washed his hands of the dry blood, making the water itself turn red. He splashed some water on his face and felt the cool liquid trickle down his neck marking its path with red...

He cleaned it all away, all the blood, the filth, the shame and the guilt. He drank his fill ignoring the metal taste the water had taken on and stood. He had no more tears to cry...

He ran... and kept running. Running away from what he had become...

* * *

It was a cool morning in the small village of Nariko. The birds were still asleep, huddled together to shrug of the cold leaving only the humans to make the melody of the day.

Just as the market opened in the small village, a monk entered it via the western gate. From the look of his robes, one would think him a member of the Fire Temple, which he indeed was, however if one actually knew how the monks of the Temple dressed, then they would have noticed just how different he looked.

In his hand he carried a wood and steel Bo-staff with a red cloth wrapped around the middle. He wore a dark red cloak over which he had the traditional black monk cloth over his left shoulder. He also had a dark orange sash around his waist with a red cirle on the side in which the kanji for fire was drawn in black paint. Finally, to top of his appearance he had a dark brown sugegasa on his head, to shield him from rain.

Walking slowly, the man took stock of the many wares available in the market. Stopping briefly, he bought some fresh food at a vendor. Putting some of the food in a satchel he stuffed it into his robes and began eating a loaf of bread he had taken out. It was then that he realised he was being followed.

He continued to eat his meal before hearing the sound of light footsteps behind him. In a moment he felt a tiny shift in weight on his side and realised that someone must have relieved him of his money pouch. Smirking to himself he waited until the pickpocket was turned away before looking back.

He was barely able to see a black and yellow blur dart behind the corner of an alley as it dissappeared in a flash. Slowly following, he turned into the alley and heard the pickpocket a ways down to a small side street. But just as he reached the corner, the pickpocket shot out of the alley and ran straight into him. The monk being well over twice his size, the young boy was knocked back and fell to the floor. He looked up in slight fear before holding out the pouch and saying... "_Sumimasen!_ I only took a few ryo, just to buy some bread! Please don`t hurt me!"

The monk was taken aback at this. He knew poverty and he knew how some children had to struggle to survive, but this boy... Upon closer inspection, he could see that his clothes were distinctly torn up, as if he had been travelling in rough terrain. His black T-shirt with a red swirl design on the front was cut up and barely anything was left of his left sleeve. His blue pants were also ripped at the edges but what struck the monk most, was that every piece of it was covered in blood... And despite looking quite starved and exhausted, the boy did not seem to have any injuries... This worried the monk, but right now he had to deal with the boy fearfully trying to give him back his money.

Kneeling down he took the pouch and then fished inside his robes for his satchel. Finding the other loaf of bread inside, he gave it to the boy who looked at him with wide eyes... Smiling slightly he turned and began walking back to the street. Halfways to the exit of the village, a blur sped past him. The boy ran out of the village and immediately jumped into the forest, seemingly trying to remain hidden... It was then that he heard a slight jingle on the ground infront of him. Looking down, he saw a few ryo lying there, the same money he had intended to leave to the boy... But apparently this boy was either rather dumb... or special...

* * *

It was nearing midday by the time Korusho, as the monk was named, saw the boy again. He had been walking away from Nariko and continuing on his journey only to find three brutes, simple highwaymen by appearance, attempting to beat on the child.

Korusho only heard a bit of what was said. Namely that the boy had apparently asked them for directions and these loudmouth barbarians had thought to make sport of him... It sickened Korusho to his very heart, knowing that there were people like them in the world.

Deftly walking towards them, he slammed the wooden end of his Bo into the head of the first one. While normally this would not be enough to incapacitate a man, Korusho was still a monk of the Fire Temple. He was taught how to mold chakra and even had a decent _taijutsu_ style, both of which were meant for defense of course. But protecting another was even more important than keeping true to the temple guidelines... something he never fully did either way.

So the chakra strengthened piece of wood, quickly knocked out the first robber and dispatched the other in a matter of moments as well.

The last one however pulled out a rusty katana from his back and letting out a battle-cry, reminiscent of a squirrel trapped in the toilet, tried to cut at Korusho, only to be blocked by the metal part of his Bo which had turned into a lengthened axe as the monk channeled chakra into it.

The katana was swung back, as the robber suddenly threw a piece of paper at the monk. Fearing that this was a Paper-Bomb, Korusho tried to jump away only to realise that he was tricked, as the bandit rushed him while he was still unbalanced. But just as the blade was about to nick his arm, the bandit fell to the ground clutching his right leg in apparent pain.

Briefly looking at the boy, Korusho noticed he had a branch in his hand and had hit the bandit. The monk briefly noted the look in the boy`s eyes, a look that told him he wasn`t new to something like violence. It disturbed him even more but before he could contemplate on this child he had to take care of this blundering bafoon of a bandit.

As the bandit turned towards the boy, Korusho charged his Bo with Fire-chakra, making the steel glow hot and extend into a small blade at the end of his staff. Charging at the bandit he sliced through his katana and kicked him in the stomach, knocking the bandit across the road and into a tree. As he stood up and tried to punch him, Korusho merely spun his staff around and knocked him out via another chakra enhanced blow of wood.

Dusting himself off, the monk looked back at the young boy who was looking at the men with disinterest and a hint of disgust.

"I was just trying to know how to get to the Fire Temple... Why did they have to attack me?" The rhetorical question was answered nonetheless as Korusho spoke saying... "Because there are people in the world that do not value peace."

The boy seemed like he was deep in thought for a moment before nodding. This of course surprised the monk. He had seen many children of his age and none seemed as... experienced as this boy.

"How old are you?" The boy stared at him with dull eyes before a hint of caution entered them. He didn`t want to tell him his age. It might lead him to knowing who he was... But the man had saved his life – or at the very least prevented him from slaughtering the bandits. With the grim thought still fresh in his mind, the boy sighed. He looked at the monk, noticing for the first time the insignia of the Fire Temple on his sash. Interested the boy answered...

"I`m six years old... Are you... from the Fire Temple?" The monk nodded slowly. Six years? Sora, the child who was brought to the Temple a few years ago, the boy he himself thought of as something of a surrogate son, _he_ was six years old! And he had been living in the temple his whole life. One would expect someone like him to understand the basic concept of peace and its meaning, but even he was far too young to understand. And yet this boy had the look... The general aura of...

"Could you take me to the Temple? Or tell me where it is? I heard they take... Strays..." The boy`s voice slowly faded as he finished his request. His head hung low as he started fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

"You do not have a home then? Nowhere to go?" The boy slowly shook his head as Korusho regarded him... The monk sighed and said... "I know of a family living in a village not far from here. I am sure they would be happy to take y-"

"I can`t." The boy`s interruption was quiet but determined. Korusho hm`d as the boy continued... "I`m too dangerous. But... I`ll do whatever you say... since you saved my life..." His piece said, the boy looked down at the ground and studied his feet as he awaited the monk`s answer.

Korusho however, was surprised at the fact that the boy was utterly serious. He tried with all his might to think of a reason that the child might consider himself too dangerous to live in a normal family... and couldn`t. For his life he could not say what brought this kind of thinking to the boy. Sighing yet again he beckoned him to follow.

"Very well. It will take us a few days to get to the village... Might I know your name then?" They walked silently for a few minutes, Korusho displaying the legendary patience of monks until the boy answered... "Naruto... Just Naruto..."

Korusho stopped as they had just arrived at a crossroads... He slowly turned left and continued walking as he said... "Maelstrom... Reminds me of home..." The boy seemed confused at first but shrugged it off and kept walking behind his companion. Who meanwhile, had just begun reminiscincing about his long lost home, his long red hair swaying in the morning breeze...

* * *

Two days of near-constant travel had passed, since the boy had joined the monk. Yesterday they had arrived in a very small town that had a wide variety of goods available.

Korusho had insisted he buy Naruto some new clothes. And while the boy was reluctant to further abuse his hospitality, in the end he relented simply to be rid of his blood-stained clothing... The monk had not asked about why it was stained and he did not ask the boy why he thought himself dangerous to others. He did find out that he believed the monks in the temple would be able to defend themselves, but he did not say why they would _have to_ defend themselves from him.

He had bought him a simple black shirt, though the boy insisted it not have the same swirl symbol on it as his first. Saying it reminded him too much, of what, he again did not say. His pants were also replaced with a pair of simple gray ones and his sandals were replaced with a black pair of the open-toe variety.

It was nearing night-time as the two kept walking towards the village Korusho had mentioned. The boy had quickly learned that while they kept a very slow pace, they walked all the longer for it, ensuring they saw more of the land in greater detail as the monk put it.

Korusho had just considered making camp as his young companion`s voice carried to him from behind...

"Korusho? You`re... wise, right?" The monk chuckled to himself as he slowed down slightly and answered... "Why yes, I do believe I am quite wise... What seems to be troubling you Naruto?"  
Naruto didn`t answer right away. Instead he sped up until he was right beside him and looked up, blue eyes meeting brown. Naruto had let slip that his eyes reminded him of his Jiji, but once he asked of him the boy clamped shut, making Korusho know it was a touchy subject.

As they continued to walk, Naruto made up his mind and asked in a somewhat resigned voice..."Why do people... live?"

Korusho hid his surprise reasonably well. Over the past two days he noticed that the boy was quite... different. He had the air of being a hyperactive child quite like Sora, not too long ago. But something must have happened, to have him withdraw into himself. Something that made him rethink all he knew... For a mere six-year old to have gone through something so profound...

The monk sighed as he continued to stare at those blue eyes. He saw a need in them. A need to know, to understand...

"Could you... elaborate?" The boy nodded saying... "Why do people want to live in a world filled with... hate?" Korusho contemplated him. He was right of course. The world of shinobi and by extension the world itself was filled with an endless cycle of hate. Even love was no stranger to hate and pain... Love breeds desire, desire breeds want, want breeds greed and greed always ends in pain. The monk stopped suddenly, his companion continuing for a few steps before turning back.

"To answer your question, you must first answer mine..." Naruto merely nodded prompting the monk to continue...

"In all your life, have you never known something worth fighting for? Something worth protecting... or someone?" The answer came quickly to Naruto. Yes, he had, but he had also lost it all... Or at least he was lost to them. He briefly thought of his Jiji until he remembered how he looked at him that night. But he smiled as well, thinking of Ichiraku`s and despite what happened he remembered how enraptured he was when Jiji told him about the Will of Fire... The will to protect those you care for.

"I did... And I still do. But I`m lost to them... And can`t go back..." Korusho scoffed slightly, surprising the young blonde as he said... "Whether you can go back or not, does not matter. You care for them and have cared for them, meaning you would have done anything to protect them, am I right?" Naruto nodded still slightly surprised by the uncharacteristic response he elicited from his companion. The monk then smiled.

"As long as you wish to keep the people precious to you from harm, that`s how long you will have the strength to stand and keep going. And that Naruto is why people live in this hateful world of ours. Because their will to protect others from that hate, is what drives them to live..."

Naruto looked down at the ground and thought. A minute passed in silence before he slowly turned his gaze back, only for Korusho to see him smiling. It was a smile that told him just how very wrong his first impression of the boy had been... Yes, he had dealt with hardship and ache, was still dealing with it in fact. But the boy was utterly remarkable in his own regard. A fact he continued to prove.

"I understand... No matter how bad my day was back at the village... Whenever I went to Ayame and Teuchi they would make me feel better. They would make the hate go away. And I`d do that for them anyday..." Naruto`s smile widened as the monk nodded in silent agreement his smile slowly fading to his usual content expression. He had probably learned more of his companion in the last four sentences, than the last two days combined. But right now, it did not matter. He continued walking with Naruto trailing behind once again. But after a few steps the blonde stopped and Korusho turned to see him seemingly struggle with something until he said...

"But I`m going to keep going." At the monk`s frowning gaze, Naruto elaborated... "Even though I have some people I care about... They`re too far away. And even so I don`t think it would be enough." he said as he puffed out his chest and clenched his fist in determination.

"I`m going to find more people precious to me and I`m going to protect them as well. I`ll do whatever it takes to make sure there`s less hate in this world." It was then that Korusho noticed... His eyes... were no longer lifeless. From the dull ocean blue filled with sadness they had turned into a powerful gaze. It seemed like a dormant fire was relit in the boy`s eyes. And it was enough for Korusho to smile yet again. He had made his decision. And apparently, so had Naruto.

* * *

_A lone figure waited in a boat. The figure seemed obscured in fog as he waited completely still._

_The man, as he was revealed to be, jumped suddenly as a giant myrriad of lights began to grow a few hundred feet away. The fog dissipated to reveal a large island, completely surrounded by whirlpools... and shinobi... The lights shined brightly above, a sign of a powerful justu in effect..._

_This was the island of Uzu. The home of Uzushiogakure and the Uzumaki clan. And the time of their destruction was at hand... The legendary fuinjutsu masters were making their last stand here and now..._

_The shinobi and kunoichi of Uzu, after having fought for weeks on end without support from Konoha, had managed to evacuate as many people as they could... Now out of their meagre numbers, already shredded to only a fraction of their original strength... they stood._

_The enemy shinobi closed in on all sides, all with their eyes set on this, the final battle to destroy those blasted Uzumaki... But it would be a battle with no true victor. And yet the Uzumaki were still the ones that lost._

_Using their most powerful techniques, the seal masters took their enemies to the grave with them..._

_Uzu became abandoned, as it`s last defenders fell, their corpses still littering the island... Of their attackers, nothing remained... Such was the final act of the Uzumaki... Only their descendants could now hope to one day restore Uzushiogakure, and the Uzumaki clan with it..._

_The figure in the boat slumped towards his seat... He knew he was dreaming. He had lived through this nightmare all those years ago. And he could still hear their screams... Looking off to his right he saw a small boat bearing a single dishiveled man slowly dissapear into the fog, heading for the Wave Country._

_He was that man... He was the man that abandoned his comrades all those years ago. And then sought repentance in the Fire Temple, seeking new purpose in his life... Hopefully, he had now found it..._

* * *

Mayuko. A small village near the eastern coast of _Hi no Kuni. _After about a week of travelling they had arrived. Korusho had quickly found out where the Bedoku family were currently living. They spent an hour in the village buying supplies or rather Korusho was...

Naruto himself had grown rather sullen and quiet the last couple of days. Already missing the old monk, who reminded him of his Jiji. He had decided to simlpy wait for his companion at the base of a tree, just outside the village.

Retrieving him, the monk made his way through the streets until in a matter of minutes they arrived at a small single-floor house which spread out to the back where a barn and chicken coop were located.

Naruto sulked even more as Korusho told him to hold his Bo while he knocked. Utterly unneccesary but the monk found his young companion`s pout rather cute.

Hechuckled to himself as he knocked on the family`s door. They were soon greeted by a middle-aged woman with shoulder-length black hair. Her husband was a rather tall but skinny man with long brown hair and a small beard. Their two sons were rambonctious twins that, while still in their diapers had managed many feats of destruction, including letting out the family livestock and having them trample their flower-garden. But their parents were simply unable to be mad at them. Despite that, their sister was now on 24-hour watch making sure they behaved. She had dark brown hair that fell to the middle of her back. She was near 14 years old with a pair of bright green eyes.

The couple were quite happy to see their old friend and invited him in for supper. They treated Naruto very kindly and were it not for the fact that he liked the monk more, Naruto would have been absolutely thrilled to have such a caring family look after him. And so he resigned himself to his fate as, after supper, the question popped up...

"So Korusho, who is this little fella you`ve got with you?" The man named Andaro asked. His wife merely smiled and looked to the monk expectantly as he cleared his throat.

Naruto seemed to shrink back as he awaited their response only to be shocked into falling off his chair at the monk`s words. Sinaya, as was the woman`s name, quickly helped him up as Korusho chuckled...

"What did you say Korusho-san?" The honorific was a demand from the monk who hated being called _sama_ by the boy. But the monk merely chuckled and repeated...

"I was just explaining how I found you and made you my apprentice wasn`t I?" Korusho chuckled at the look the blond was giving him. Only for his legs to be enveloped in a bearhug or as much of one as Naruto could muster. The monk merely ruffled his hair as Naruto smiled brightly.

"Hmm, isn`t he a bit young Korusho?" Naruto pouted slightly but couldn`t really be mad at Sinaya since she had been nothing but kind to him. But it was Korusho who answered saying... "He is young but I know he will one day do great things. And I wish to help him on his way..." Naruto could do nothing but smile at his new sensei. The day passed with Korusho telling stories of his travels and his time in the Temple until late in the afternoon the pair left and went on their way...

* * *

In a land filled with falling water and rising plants, a small girl only six years in age tried desperately to dodge a dozen kunai, as her sensei or rather slave-driver made her go through her daily training regime.

From dawn until noon it was physical training. Just a quick breakfast and off they went. It wouldn`t be until noon that she could really catch her breath. And then it was lunchtime. 10 minutes to gulp down the bowl of half-cooked rice and the two slivers of fish before it was time for lessons.

The lessons themselves weren`t so bad. She was forced to learn about ninjutsu, their weaknesses and ways to circumvent them. While still only just starting to mold chakra and learn the basic jutsu known to even the lowliest Genin, she enjoyed simply sitting and listening to her rather more amicable academics teacher.

The man was all in all much more pleasant to deal with than her sensei. But she was happy in the knowledge that he wouldn`t be her sensei for much longer. Once she was seven, she would be switched out, to join a team of young prodigies. Their sensei was still an unknown to her but anything had to be better than the man she was stuck with at the moment.

It only pained her to know that she would have to put up with the stares. She had met the so-called prodigies already and they held nothing but contempt towards her. It wasn`t like she had done them wrong or anything. It was just normal to act that way towards the Jinchuuriki of the _Nanabi no Kabutomushi. _

Her lessons ended in the late afternoon, giving her another couple hours to train in chakra control. All she could really do right now was try to concentrate her chakra by forming a basic ram hand-sign.

Despite her large reserves as a Jinchuuriki, the exercise was exhausting so she was almost glad to arrive in the small 2 room apartment the village had given her. It held only a bathroom with a shower and a basic room complete with a bed, a small wardrobe, a chair and a desk. She would more often than not simply eat her evening meal at her desk and plop down onto her bed to sleep.

In the morning she would wake up an hour before her sensei would come to get her and go shower. Afterwards her day would repeat, again and again and again... Just another senseless day for Fuu of Takigakure...

* * *

It had been two days since leaving Mayuko. In that time, the pair of travellers had passed closer and closer towards the eastern coast of the Land of Fire. Today was the first day that Korushu had them stop outside of a town and go off the road into the forest.

There they found a clearing, where Korusho told Naruto to sit down.

"Now Naruto. I said I would help you become a person that will do great things one day. Do you know why?" When the boy merely shrugged, Korusho continued saying... "Because I saw something special in you. I saw you had a purpose. A reason to succeed. Something I myself have been trying to find. I left the Fire Temple several times on several pilgrimages. But I never found my purpose in life. I believe I now have." The monk drew himself up to his full height and stared sternly down at Naruto who felt himself tense up under his gaze.

"My purpose is to ensure you become the best shinobi you could hope to be. And if not then simply to pave the way for your path. But to do that, you and I will train. Without pause. Without regrets. You will train and I have no doubt, you will surpass even the Yondaime Hokage one day." Korushu did not miss the flicker of emotions that ran across the boy`s face as he spoke about the Yondaime. But the boy`s determined expression made him forget as he asked...

"Where do we start?" Smirking Korusho spoke as he took something out of his robe. The boy never mentioned anything like wanting to become a shinobi. But something was simply telling the monk what to say... He was not dissapointed.

"In the last Great Shinobi War, boys only a few years older than you were already vetereans of war. They fought at that age, so it is only right that if you wish to surpass them, you must begin training even sooner." As he said this the monk pulled out a pair of small leather bracers. Inscribed on them were strange kanji, known only to those versed in the art of _fuinjutsu._

"We will start by training your strength. I have already seen you posses quite a large amount of stamina and I believe, you may have quite large chakra reserves as well. In which case I will begin teaching you the basics of chakra and chakra manipulation... You do know what chakra is, correct?" The boy`s blank stare was all the answer he needed. In a truly uncharacteristic gesture, Korusho actually face-palmed. While the boy had a sharp mind, he was apparently a stranger to the concept of chakra. No matter, seeing as most monks devoted themselves to it`s study.

Sighing he gave Naruto the bracers which he immediately put on. "But these aren`t even heavy!" The boy missed the rather mischevious smirk on his sensei`s face as he quickly made a one-handed sign. The kanji on the bracers glowed blue suddenly and Naruto gasped as the weights seemed to grow 10-times heavier. His arms sunk to the ground as Korusho laughed.

"You were saying Naruto?" The boy merely huffed, as he did his best to lift up the weights. After several minutes of being unable to lift even one hand the boy growled slightly. It was then that Korusho first noticed the boy was even more special than he believed. It was barely noticeable, but to the trained eye of a monk, it was obvious. A thin layer of orange chakra seeped out of Naruto`s stomach and quickly sped to his arms. There it glowed briefly before dissapearing. But after that strange occurence, Naruto surprised his sensei by lifting both arms off the ground and raising them above his head. His face glowed with triumph even as his legs wobbled under the strain.

Before Naruto could crumble in a heap, Korusho released half the weight making it significantly lesser but still quite a burden for a young child. Naruto however took it in stride grinning broadly, at least until Korusho took out another pair of weights for his legs.

Groaning the boy allowed his sensei to put on the weights and make them heavier. This way Naruto could still move well, but at less than half his normal speed. Korusho knew that within a week the boy would request that his weights be made even heavier but he would burn that bridge once he came to it. Right now he decided to begin Naruto`s teaching while the boy did some light running around the clearing. He did not forget about the strange chakra. Nor will he likely ever forget about it. He would get to the heart of this boy, but he would not force the answers out of him.

And yet, all in all it seemed he was in for several interesting years...

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk in Konoha. He had just done what he had never wanted to do in his life. He had declared Naruto Uzumaki _dead_. It would do Konoha no good, making him a missing-nin. He wasn`t even a shinobi so they technically couldn`t. Putting out a bounty for him was a way... A way supported by Danzo and his ROOT operatives. But he was Sandaime Hokage for a reason. And the attention the boy would get, a mere civilian in the eyes of the bounty-hunter society, would be enough to spur questions as to why exactly Konoha would pay a bounty for a six year old child...

And so, it was with a heavy heart that he decided to basically kill the boy in all but life... Naruto Uzumaki had nothing left in Konoha. He did not exist... His inheritance was sealed away at Hiruzen`s personal vault in the Hokage Mansion. It was merely a safety precaution. If the techniques of the Yondaime Hokage and his wife, one of the last known Uzumaki seal-masters, were to be stolen... Then the damage caused by those that used the techniques, could only be blamed on Konoha... Not that he cared anymore...

_Perhaps it is for the best... _He thought briefly before his subconscious seemed to mangle the thought itself and throttle it until it passed from his mind...

He had tried to convince himself of this for days now, but it did not work... The fox chakra had probably killed the boy and the Kyuubi was now somewhere beyond their reach. Not that it mattered...

All the Sandaime Hokage could hear was the voice of his young surrogate grandson simply storming into his office and asking _"What`s up Jiji?"_...

He laughed a hollow laugh... It would be months before Sarutobi could act like his old self. And it would be years before he saw Naruto again. Until then he would mourn...

With a sigh that seemed to echo in his weary bones, the Sandaime turned to the paperwork on his desk. The Bane of all Kage... And right now he had another affair to deal with as well. On top of losing his grandson, the Uchiha were still being problematic... He would have to see Itachi about that...

* * *

It had been 3 weeks since Naruto began his shinobi training. In that time he had managed to convince his sensei to increase his weights once again due to how much progress he`s been making. But as far as the academics go...

"No, you mixed up spiritual energy and mental energy again... Also there are 361 tenketsu points on the average shinobi, not 459... Do we have to go over the entire concept of chakra _again _?" He may be a monk but even Korusho had his limits. It was almost as if the boy outright wanted to answer wrong. It would obviously take quite some time before the boy could even mold chakra... In which case he might have to introduce him to _fuinjutsu_ but that was also highly complicated...

Sighing the monk motioned for his young student to stop his training exercises. He had taught Naruto a few katas of the monk`s own style,  
_Kyūsoku Atemi_ otherwise known as the Rapid Strike. It was a special technique for those that were not overly strong but rather nimble. It focused on evading the opponent`s blows and then rapidly striking the vulnerable points of the enemy. It was not unlike the Hyuuga` Gentle Fist technique, only this one did not focus on the tenketsu of an opponent. _Speaking of tenketsu, I should probably teach him more about those as well... He obviously can`t remember even the average number of them yet but it will help him with channeling his chakra..._

Korusho sighed. So much to do, so little time... Well, he actually had all the time in the world. Chuckling to himself he prepared their lunch and spread it out on the grass. They ate mostly in silence, but never an awkward one. He had learned quickly that the boy had an obsession with ramen but Korusho was adamant about not letting him eat it more than twice per week... A fact that had the boy threaten to leave the monk in search of a better teacher. But Naruto never really did go through with his threats. Although Korusho had been particularly itchy the next morning. But he would not accuse his new student of anything... Unless it happened _again..._

As the monk continued his internal rant, he absent-mindedly took out a bottle of dark brown liquid. Quickly letting a few drops of it fall onto his rice he closed it once more and set it down just as Naruto wolfed down his last piece of meat. The boy had noticed the "special sauce" his sensei always used and while at first he was respectful and did not pry, he was still just a 6-year old boy...

His curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto tried to sneak the bottle away from where the monk had palced it at his side.

In a blink the boy found his arm held firmly in the monk`s grasp. At his raised eyebrow the boy could only chuckle nervously before asking...

"Korusho-sensei, what`s up with that bottle anyway? You always use the stuff on whatever we`re eating..." The monk released the boy`s hand and slowly picked up said bottle while chewing his rice in enjoyment.

"This, Naruto, is a special sauce originating from my homeland. It`s been many years since I was there but the sauce is a good reminder. It can be made from ingredients found in most markets nowadays but only members of my family have the stomach to... erm... stomach it..." Looking back at the blonde, Korusho sweat-dropped... It seemed the only thing the blonde had heard was a challenge to his seemingly powerful eating abilities. Knowing he would not relent until his curiosity was sated, the monk briefly offered the bottle with a smile, a mischevious one...

Uncaring, Naruto grinned in apparrent victory as he opened the bottle and poured a generous amount of the thick liquid on his own bowl of rice. The monk merely waited in anticipation. On the inside he was chuckling to himself, not only was the sauce quite spicy but it was utterly disgusting to anyone that doesn`t have the genetic trait of his ancestors. They had namely eaten the sauce for generations so only their descendants had a natural appreciation for its taste.

Waiting with his eyes closed for the inevitable yell of disgust from the young blonde, Korusho`s eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets when he heard the boy smack his lips in appreciation.

"That stuff is awesome! It tastes almost better than ramen!" Naruto was grinning broadly at his "accomplishment" so he failed to see the shocked look on his sensei`s face... To a bypasser one might have thought the man had seen a ghost. And in a way he had...

The stamina, the ramen addiction and now... Nobody outside of the Uzumaki clan can stomach that sauce... NOBODY... For the first time in years Korusho allowed himself a brief flicker of hope. He had not heard of another Uzumaki since the death of his distant relative in Konoha... And even that matter was hushed up. All he knew was that the woman had died during the Kyuubi`s attack on the village...

It was in a moment that every piece of the puzzle fell into place... Looking at the boy... Korusho had no doubt.

"Naruto..." The boy`s grin faded from his face as he heard the serious tone of his companion. His whole figure tensed as he saw the look on his sensei`s face... A minute passed before Korusho took off his sugegasa, allowing his red hair to flow more freely.

"What do you know of your parents?"


	3. Chapter 3

**NOTE: My AN/s take up about 800 words so its actually a 5k word chapter... Just being honest... Also its a filler – but an important one!**

**Hello and hello! For those of you who do not know me, I am TSPOL or rather The Six Paths of Life or if you prefer, you may call me Matthew Keyn... Not my real name but one I favor for simplicity`s sake...**

**And I hereby welcome you all, to the Third Chapter of Journey of a Jinchuuriki... Now I simply have a few things to get off my chest here...**

**First off, I will probably not ALWAYS say this so for the record, I don`t own Naruto... For all you know... OK, no I seriously don`t own Naruto because if I did... Well... Jiraiya would still be alive... But crippled in a certain department... That would be more than enough punishment, don`t you think?**

**But jokes aside I also have a few notices to give out...**

**Regarding updates... I will be updating once a week every weekend as I have up till now. Even though I may have already finished next week`s episode or maybe the one for the week after, I will maintain a chapter per week schedule. Why you ask? Well let me ask you this... Would you rather wait one week and receive constant updates, or would you rather get whatever I can scrounge up in a week and a half, and then perhaps nothing for three weeks? Yeah... I thought so...**

**Next, the reviews... I appreciate all honest, heartfelt reviews, no matter how badly they portray my story. AS LONG AS THEY HAVE REASON... And by that I mean that whoever decides to degrade either me or my story had better have a good reason for it. If someone notes that I write waaaaay too many "..." and says that snidely I might add. Well, no problem. It`s perfectly true and he gave me no reason to believe he was an idiot who merely wanted to insult me. But groundless, unfounded and most importantly unreasoned accusations and insults, PISS ME OFF... I want as many flamers as possible if it means that they give me advice or at least point out my flaws (some I am aware of and can`t fix more than I already have but that`s just how it is). Although I would appreciate you did not repeat something that has already been said. If you truly want to give me some advice or admonish me for my poor writing I`m certain you can simply PM me...**

**But enough of that, time to get to the story, right Korusho?**

**Korusho: Hmm... I suppose. Although I believe the situation we last found ourselves in could be classified as a... cliffhanger?**

**Writer: ... Maa, maybe... Still the way I`m planning it there`s still gonna be hell to pay for the next 5 chapters... Or less...**

**K: Hmm... And tell me, will these talks become a regular occurence?**

**W: Yep, I like talking to you while you`re not-...**

**K: Yes? You were saying?**

**W: THE STORY! Lets get to the story already!**

**Oh, just for the record...**

**"Bijuu speaking directly"**  
_**"Bijuu speaking indirectly"**_  
_**"**__**Bijuu thinking (rare...)**__**"**_  
_ Regular thinking_  
_"Mental conversation (will appear later on...)"_  
"Talking"

* * *

"Naruto... What do you know of your parents?"

The question was left hanging in the air as a chilling breeze swept over the pair...

For his part, Naruto was utterly frozen in place. The boy looked at his new sensei, who had not only replaced his Jiji but also given him something that he had never experienced before... Hope...

Hope that he would amount to something in life. Hope that someday he would be able to return to Konoha and be recognized for something other than being a superb prankster.

Sarutobi had managed to give him purpose in life. His first purpose, namely to become Hokage and have all the villagers respect him. But that was merely false hope. The Hokage had never so much as given Naruto a few pointers about what to do in life. And considering just how much he was hiding from him. So many secrets, all of which he could handle not knowing... But to have his own Jiji keep the truth about the Kyuubi from him... It felt like having his heart pierced by a rusted kunai.

And now here he was. In front of the monk who had picked up his shattered remains and within a week managed to remake his whole person. Who managed to give him a new purpose. To become the best shinobi he could be. So that one day he would be recognized for his skill alone and not the demon that dwelled within him.

But that image came crashing down as he stared into Korusho`s brown eyes. Eyes seeking answers. To Naruto, there was only one reason he could be asking this... After all he was an orphan. The only connection his parents could have that Korusho found interesting, was where he himself came from. And if he told him that... If he found out about Konoha. If he heard what happened in the village. Would he realise, that he had unknowingly promised to train the Kyuubi container? Would he leave him? Would he force him back to the village?

Naruto`s mind raced with possible outcomes, although if he were to calm down he would have realised how stupid he was. But in truth, Naruto was still just a child. His emotional scars may have taught him some deeper meaning of life... Made him think deeply about the world. But he still had the same insecurities that were expected in a 6-year old orphan boy that had self-exiled himself from his home.

With Naruto needing several minutes to calm his mind he looked back at the patiently waiting monk. And it was then that he truly relaxed... Korusho`s eyes held nothing but warmth in them. Sure, the want for answers was still present, but his entire demeanour did not portray him as a man so cruel, he would judge him for what he contained... Quickly reflecting on what he had seen of the man in the last month or so, Naruto knew that he would hear him out. And so he resigned himself as he began his story...

"Korusho-sensei... I don`t know much about my parents... You see... I`m an orphan... an orphan from Konoha." At this the monk merely nodded seemingly already guessing where his young charge was from.

Steeling himself the boy continued in an increasingly more somber voice... "Although... Ever since I can remember... The people there hated me. They chased me and hit me... It was the worst on my birthdays. I only remember three of them very well, since for the first three and a half years of my life I was in an orphanage and too young to remember either way... But as soon as she could, the lady who ran the place kicked me out... The Hokage... who treated me kinda like a grandson... Gave me an apartment where I could live. He said that it was being payed by a fund for orphans but I think he might have been paying himself..." Naruto stopped here as he desperately willed to keep tears from falling. Speaking of his Jiji was almost like talking about a person you loved that had recently passed away. And to Naruto it was just like that. The moment he saw his grandfather`s eyes that night... The moment he saw the fear in them, the regret... It was the moment that Hiruzen Sarutobi died to Naruto. The man was still Hokage, still the person who had cared more for Naruto in his entire life save for the Ichiraku family and now his new sensei... But as his Jiji... he was gone.

Realizing he had gone off track, the boy continued... "But after I was on my own, the people around the village would sometimes chase me down. Calling me... demon brat... They would try to catch me and sometimes they did. Those times they beat me with sticks or punched and kicked me, until either some ANBU showed up, or they got tired and left... Once though... On my 5th birthday, I actually had to go to the hospital... I healed quick, but I never forgot how scared I was then... I thought I might d-die..." At this, Naruto broke down. All the hurt, all the pain came flooding back... He thought he had no more tears to cry but he was dead wrong. He had plenty left.

Korusho quickly reached out and pulled the boy closer. Naruto then began crying his little heart out onto the monk` robes. And Korusho could feel his own heart crumble away, as he looked at the poor child. He couldn`t deny that Naruto had quickly wormed his way into his heart. The boy was smart, inquisitive and a deep thinker when it came down to it. But at his heart, he could be the same excitable child that Sora was. Despite having some trouble in regards to actual academics, he was already proud of how intelligent his student was, or rather, what his potential in that regard was. And so it had quickly become apparent that Naruto became like a grandson to him as well. In fact, if what he thought was correct, then that may be closer to the truth than either of them knew.

But when he asked Naruto about his parents, he was unaware of just how traumatic a childhood the boy had. Even so, he had to get an answer from him. So he waited silently, ruffling the boy`s hair until he calmed himself to a degree.

"Naruto... I never knew just how badly you lived. And if you do not want to tell me, then you do not have to. But even so, I would ask if you have anything you can tell me about your parents... Specifically... your mother." Surprised slightly, Naruto looked up at the red-haired monk. He had honestly thought that his question was an indirect way of trying to find out about where he came from. But apparently... Korusho was interested in his mother.

"I don`t know anything about her really... But... I think I would... That I would..." seeing the boy was hesitating as to his request, Korusho smiled kindly and ruffled his hair once more in a gesture he thought grandfatherly... Apparently it did the trick as Naruto calmed down even more and continued saying...

"Id like to tell you just what happened to me... How I got to that village where you found me..." Naruto was using up a lot of his courage right now. He honestly was still afraid that Korusho might abandon him once he learned of the fox-demon. But Naruto felt that if he didn`t tell someone then he would go insane and possibly allow the fox control over him once again... Something he had vowed to himself never to allow to happen... not again...

"Naruto, I swear that no matter what you tell me, I will not abandon you..." The words came naturally to Korusho. Almost as if someone else was telling him what to say. He did not need more confirmation that he was right once Naruto looked up at him with wide eyes and began crying once more, all the while thanking him in a small voice. It was now obvious to the monk that with his hard childhood and having to leave his village for reasons soon to be revealed, that the boy had abandonment issues. This merely strengthened his resolve to teach the boy and impart all his available wisdom onto him. But right now he turned his attention to the story that his companion was telling him.

He spoke of how he was tormented in the orphanage by the other children. How the matron would scold him and threaten to beat him if he retaliated. How she reasoned that Naruto was causing parents to not want to adopt the other children. How she used this botched reasoning to exuse his expulsion from the orphanage.

He then went into great detail about how his life was once the Hokage had bought him a home. He was never allowed to play with other kids his age, because their parents would either take them away from him or in the case of civilians, even threaten to physically harm him if he came any closer... How some did in fact hurt him, those few times they managed to corner him. He told of how his birthdays were the worst days in the year. The only birthday he remembered even bearly in the orphanage was when the matron locked him in the dorms on said day, wrongly accusing him of smashing a vase or something alike, with this being his punishment.

She on the other hand, took the other children out for sweets that day. And once they came back in the evening, to find a hungry Naruto that had peed his pants since he could not go to the bathroom, she saw fit to have him punished once more. By having to clean the entire orphanage with nothing but a dirty rag and a bucket of water. All of this while just only turning three years old. Of course he never even came close to finishing his chore, which resulted in even further senseless punishment.

As for his birthdays outside the damnable institution, he was faced with several mobs... One or two in the morning that would perhaps disperse after chasing him for a time. And then several more in the evening. Those were the worst however, since they were mostly made up of drunks, that did not care for anything other than causing the demon harm. On his 4th birthday the mobs caught up to him after a lengthy chase through the back-alleys of Konoha. After beating him and giving him several bruises the mob was dispersed by ANBU that came to his rescue. He told Korusho that there were supposed to be ANBU watching him most of the time... Whether they, like the villagers, decided that he deserved the punishment or whether they were simply not there at those moments he did not know.

His 5th birthday was the second worst day of his life. Coming just behind the day he had to escape Konoha. On this day the mobs managed to surprise him and catch him quickly. The beatings he got were merciless as the crowd took turns to kick and punch every inch of his body they could reach. After about 20 minutes of senseless beating, that seemed like days to Naruto, the ANBU finally arrived only to find a bloody mess where a young boy was supposed to be.

After healing up in the hospital, the Hokage told Naruto that several of the civilians were arrested and put in jail for their actions, but he had told him to release them. Here, even Korusho was shocked. The boy wanted to release the people that had nearly cost him his life? It seemed either like madness or...

"Why would you let them go, Naruto? Did you not want them to atone for what they did?" Korusho asked his young charge, who had by now gone back to sitting crosslegged next to him.

Fiddling with the hem of his shirt in thought Naruto said... "I didn`t want them to think that I was cruel... I wanted them to see... I was willing to forgive them." Korusho merely stared at the utterly unique boy next to him. Either Kami had some incredibly good things in store for this boy, or there really was no such thing as a divine creature because in his opinion, no such being could allow a boy, with a heart so pure, to be treated this way.

Sighing as he contemplated his student, Korusho motioned for the boy to continue his tale. And so Naruto told him about the few good things in his life. The Ichiraku family that helped feed his ramen obsession, both a blessing and a curse in the monk`s eyes, and the more memorable moments that he had with his surrogate grandfather. The one moment that stood out most, was how he told Naruto about the Will of Fire. It seemed to be an inspiration to the boy, as his whole face lit up at the concept. To Naruto, the Will of Fire represented his drive to show the village what he really was. Someone that would give his life to protect it... Or at least... that`s what it used to represent ot him. Now he no longer understood it fully.

His talk with Korusho reaffirmed his belief that the Will of Fire was not wrong, not entirely. But he no longer knew why exactly he would want to show the world what he is... Because he was afraid of what he is...

And it was thus that they came to the true topic, as Naruto recalled the events of his last day in Konoha...

His day started the same as always. Waking up, showering then going out into the village that despised him so to buy some food only to be turned away by the market vendors. Then going to the Ichiraku`s for his morning ration of 10 bowls of ramen. Talking with Ayame and Teuchi, Korusho quickly remembering their names from his previous talk with Naruto, and finally how he loitered around the playground until the late afternoon.

It was here that Naruto became more subdued. Telling Korusho how the boy had recognized him, as someone hated by the adults. How he drew attention to him and how it all snowballed until he was running for his life once more. He left out the beating itself, but he told him how he noticed it that time... noticed...

"Kyuubi... They always called me the... the Kyuubi brat..." Naruto was determinately not looking at Korusho this time around. This was the moment that would change his view on him, he was sure of it. And in a way he was right.

"Naruto... Are you the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune?" The spasm that rolled down Naruto`s body was evidence enough, however in a small voice the boy asked him... "What do you mean... Jinchuuriki?" Despite having found out that he housed a powerful demon, Naruto was still unaware of the true nature of the creature that resided within him. Itachi had not bothered to explain it in depth due to already telling the boy much more than he was allowed to. The young Uchiha had no doubt believed that Naruto would go to the Hokage for answers, which he would have done, had fate not intervened...

"Being a Jinchuuriki means you house one of the nine Bijuu or Tailed Beasts as they are called..." The information being of interest to Naruto he decided to remember just what he was. But with a more pressing matter at hand he continued in a voice so quiet, that had Korusho not been sitting right next to him, it would not have been heard at all.

"If that`s what it means then... yes... I am the Kyuubi..." His voice broke on the last word as he dared not look up at his sensei. He did not want to see the same hate that he had felt for years, come from those eyes. Those eyes that so very much reminded him of his Jiji. But with a difference, namely those eyes had yet to look at him, as if he were a monster. And so he waited for Korusho to say something... anything...

Only to be surprised, when he felt a hard smack to the top of his head. Rubbing the sore spot he tentatively looked at the monk to see if more hits were coming his way. But instead of a raised weapon or even a hateful scowl , he saw the red-haired man look at him with an admonishing gaze that made him feel ashamed of himself...

"Naruto I do not ever want to hear you say that again... You are not the Kyuubi!" The monk`s tone had an edge to it but beneath the harsh exterior one saw the truth behind his words. The same words that Itachi Uchiha had told Naruto when he revealed his tenant to him... Those words that held no contempt... Words that wanted him to see that he was not a demon.

Those words may have reached Naruto when Itachi spoke them... But much happened since then.

Briefly Naruto saw a flash of crimson eyes, staring back at him from a blood-soaked window. Those eyes that were his but... not his.

Returning his attention to the monk, Naruto hardened his gaze as he spoke in a low voice... "You have no idea what I did... I am a monst-" Before he could finish, Naruto was once more holding his head in pain from Korusho`s second smack to it. Indignantly the boy felt some of his anger rise out at the monk... Who was he, to hit him like that? He was acting just like the villagers, thinking he could get away with anything just because Naruto couldn`t fight back...

Korusho on the other hand was waiting silently as the boy mumbled darkly to himself. His anger soon seeped into the seal on his stomach, waking the vile chakra within. It was not enough to actually make the boy attack him or anything. But with his monk training, Korusho was easily able to identify the chakra. The raw power from it, mixed in with the rage of the Kyuubi, was enough to make some people faint. But even if Korusho was so faint of heart, it would have taken much more chakra to affect him... As it was, it was barely enough for the monk to notice a faint orange glow coming from the boy`s stomach.

Recovering from his latest admonishment, Naruto turned to glare at the monk who merely gazed back nonchalantly. When needed, he had utter control over his emotions and how they appeared on his face. It was a tactic he had learned when dealing with merchants and thugs. Making a merchant who was trying to scam you believe you were mocking him, by acting as if he was beneath you, was an easy way to make him slip up completely. This same skill also helped Korusho enhance his bartering capabilities, since he could always wheedle out a bit extra from the stingy merchants, trying to sell him over-priced food of poor quality. As far as the occasional thugs were concerned, it helped him create an image of a poor Fire Temple monk, that had no hope of defending himself. So, the inevitable smackdown they received was always a surprise.

But currently, he was using it to get Naruto to tell him exactly why, he believed himself a monster. He also wanted to see, despite how dangerous it might be, whether he knew that he was slowly channeling the Kyuubi chakra.

"Why do you keep hitting me?" Shrugging uncaringly Korusho countered saying... "Why do you keep calling yourself a monster? You have so far showed me nothing that would condone such thinking. Therefore something must have happened that made you act this way."

This time, Naruto kept silent. He realised that Korusho wasn`t going to abandon him because of the Kyuubi. But deep down within himself, Naruto believed he would deserve it. He had not told Korusho the truth. Had not intended to as well. He kept the Kyuubi, his life before the monk and all of his troubles locked away. He wanted to be rid of it all but he never considered that it might hurt Korusho in some way...

What if he had changed again? If Korusho was taken by surprise, then Naruto was sure that even his great new sensei would be killed... It was then that Naruto noticed a slight burning in his abdomen. He looked down and saw a thin layer of orange chakra covering him.

Panic set in quickly but as soon as it did, the chakra dispersed, leaving him with his breath hitched in his throat as he slowly moved his hand to his stomach, where that burning sensation still remained to a lesser degree.

"When you`re angry... It seems that the Kyuubi chakra tries to escape your seal..." The words caught Naruto`s attention long enough to tear his gaze away from his stomach... Korusho was still looking at him but now he appeared to be studying him, as a small smile made its way onto his face.

"Naruto... I see that you have suffered because of the Bijuu... But if you do not know the difference between it and you... Then you might become susceptible to its chakra... You do not want the Kyuubi to take control of you, do you?" Yet again Naruto felt tears run down his face... He was not openly crying but the sadness of what he did made the tears fall as if on instinct.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto explained... He told Korusho how an ANBU had come to disperse the crowd. He did not tell him the name of the ANBU, he believed it did not matter. But he did tell him that the shinobi seemed to actually care for Naruto. He told him about their discussion on the duties of a shinobi, once more surprising the monk with just how intelligent his student was in such matters. And finally he told him how he found out about his... condition...

His breathing became slightly more erratic as he recalled his later encounter with the two drunks. He kept wringing his hands as he told Korusho how he tried to save the girl, how he attacked the men so that she could escape.

The tears came in a flood once he told him that she was killed. He explained in great detail how he ran to her. How he saw the life vanish from her eyes as she died alone... How the men laughed. How he was suddenly unable to hear their words and could only hear his own heartbeat...

Here he stopped. He wasn`t sure whether or not he imagined his encounter with the demon. In fact he was having difficulty remembering just what he had done under the fox`s influence up until he looked into the bloodstained window where he saw his reflection.

"I`m not sure if this really happened... But it felt real... Like it wasn`t just in my head..." Korusho nodded. He had heard of Jinchuuriki having a hard time remembering one of their rampages. The human body was after all not suited for the raw chakra of the Bijuu. A Jinchuuriki could learn to control it to a degree, perhaps even completely but that was rare. And if there was too much Bijuu chakra, then the brain would experience memory loss.

"I woke up in a sewer... There was water all around and there were hundreds of pipes everywhere. They were pretty big as well." Korusho thought this might have been a mental representation of the boy`s chakra system. That would also explain the pipes. Naruto had great reserves and good stamina, therefore the pipes were large and plentiful. But putting his thoughts aside, Korusho continued to listen.

"Way above me though... was a huge pipe. And it looked brand new... But it was leaking... And it wasn`t leaking normal water..." Naruto shuddered slightly as he continued to describe his encounter with the Kyuubi. The fact that the Bijuu spoke was a slight surprise to Korusho. Not that he believed that the Tailed Beasts were actually beasts. But he thought that the Kyuubi no Kitsune of all things, would most certainly not wish to degrade himself by speaking to a mere human... The monk was aware that the Bijuu had great pride and none more than the Kyuubi, who was widely known as the strongest of them all.

It showed him just how much was still unknown about the fox. And that he might be more trouble for the boy than either of them knew.

It came time for Naruto to tell him about his rampage. How he awoke to find bodies around him. How the Kyuubi told him he had killed them all... Naruto knew by now that he wasn`t the one that dealt the killing blow to the young girl. But he still killed her. If he had not tried to help her then she would have survived.

Now this is where Korusho finally found the root of the problem. The boy was obviously deeply distressed regarding the death of the innocent girl. In his eyes, both the drunks deserved their death, something Korusho, despite being a monk, agreed with. He would later find that even the Uchiha that had gotten in his way were apparently justified kills, since Naruto was defending himself. This time aorund, Korusho did not completely agree but he did not deny that the Uchiha could have handled the situation better. If they had gone for their Hokage or perhaps tried to calm Naruto down isntead of aggravating him...

It was all rather bothersome to say the least. But the problem was the girl. She was completely innocent of the entire matter. And Naruto firmly believed that her death was his fault. This was the cause of the boy`s belief that he was a monster. Because he thought that he killed an innocent, even if accidentaly and not by his own hands. However the monk knew better than to try to convince him otherwise. So he instead continued to listen to the story. It came to the point where Naruto shrugged off the Kyuubi`s control that Korusho spoke up once more.

"You broke the Kyuubi`s hold on you?" The question was filled with bewilderment. He had heard of decades old Jinchuuriki that were unable to control their Bijuu and yet it seemed that Naruto had somehow managed to maintain the Kyuubi`s chakra, but without any of its influence being transferred to him. It was unheard of, as far as Korusho was concerned.

Naruto answered dejectedly, he had spoken in a low monotone voice since he began the tale of his rampage. He was trying to distance himself from the matter, as if it wasn`t him who was killing but a being in some far away universe that had no connection to him. It was for the best either way, since him beating himself up over the Uchiha`s deaths would only strengthen his belief that he and the Kyuubi were one being.

"I just felt sad and... empty... When I saw that my eyes were... like the Kyuubi`s... It just felt like he dissapeared. I could still feel his power and I could still hear his grumbling as if he was angry or something... But I could do whatever I wanted... So I ran..." Naruto kept explaining about his escape over the Hokage Monument and his last look at his Jiji... This gave Korusho another nut to crack. It seemed that the Hokage`s reaction to his surrogate grandson`s rampage was the final blow to Naruto`s weakened psyche. It was years of insults, beatings and silent glares that had Naruto _labeled_ as wrong. It was the truth that made him realise the reason _why_ he was wrong... It was the death of the girl and the killing of the others that made him _believe_ he was wrong... But it was his grandather`s gaze that made him believe there was no turning back...

Korusho sighed deeply. The story ended with Naruto running from Konoha for a day until the cloak dissipated. He was halfway between going to Ta no Kuni when he stumbled upon the village where they met. And the rest is history...

All in all he was pleasantly surprised... The boy had managed to make a conscious decision that probably spared the lives of many, all while under the influence of the most powerful of Bijuu. The Bijuu whose chakra was practically made of hate and anger. And yet he managed to control it even if he doesn`t realise it. The problem being that it was his sadness that countered the fox`s rage. And while it proved effective... it was not good enough. But Korusho was not the man to teach Naruto about controlling his Bijuu... Hopefully he would someday find that person. Until then, he would make sure that Naruto had no reason to resort to the Kyuubi`s chakra.

"Naruto, I assure you that you are not a monster... I know you do not believe me... But I am not the person that will change that. I hope you will find that person soon, but until then..." Standing up Korusho offered his student a hand which he slowly took. Pulling him up Korsuho ruffled his hair once more and continued, a content smile never leaving his face...

"Know that I will never believe you are a monster. No matter what you say, to me, you are Naruto...-" It was then that Korusho realised just how off track they had gotten. Even though he now knew the boy`s entire life story, he still did not find an answer to his most pressing question...

But that could wait as Naruto firmly hugged his legs in an unspoken gesture of gratitude. He was not going to be convinced of it himself, but if the one person that was left in his life believed he was Naruto and not the Kyuubi... well, he would not look a gift horse in the mouth...

It was then however that Naruto also remembered the reason for their discussion. He was still unable to give the old man any useful information. But perhaps... if the last name given to him was actually that of his parents and not just a random name..."Korusho-sensei... I don`t know if the orphanage gave me my parents name or not... The lady there always said they must have not wanted me, so I was never sure... But..."

"Naruto, you can tell me anything, okay?" The monk`s kind face betrayed only a hint of anticipation... After years... Could this boy actually be...?

"Uzumaki... My name is Naruto Uzumaki..."

* * *

**W: Cliffhanger again, ey? I`m starting to think people will hate me for these short chapters... But I had to lay the groundwork here, right K-man?**

**K: I agree...**

**W: You... do?**

**K: They _will_ hate you...**

**W: [Facepalms] Well too bad... I don`t want to suddenly abandon this story like my others so far... So I`m going to write nice and slow so that I don`t lose interest... Although its killing me when I try to write out scenes that are slightly in the future... Like seriously I get sick to my stomach... I`m weird arent I Deep-Thinking-Naruto?**

**Naruto: Yeah, but- wait what do you mean Deep-Thinking?**

**W: Oh, nothing... Not implying that the actual you is kinda stupid or anything bu-**

**N: Korusho-sensei can I borrow your staff?**

**W: KORUSHO YOU HAD BETTER NOT FU**ING GIVE IT TO HIM!**

**K: [Smiles evilly as he pulls out a scroll...] Oh, I would never give him my staff to harm you Writer-san...**

**W: [Oblivious]Oh, good... Well then I`ll see all of you next week with a slightly more interesting chapter oka- AHH! What the- OUCH! Where the HECK did you get that mini Bo-Staff?!**

**N: ... I found it...**

**W: WHERE?!**

**N: ... I mean... The Kyuubi gave it to me...**

**W: [Looks from Naruto to Korusho only to find a Kage Bunshin in his place that dissipates...] KORUSHOOOOOOO!**

**Until next time! And no, I am not yet proven legitimately insane... yet...**


End file.
